Almost There
by JustTamm
Summary: Collins and Angel celebrate Valentine's Day with a weekend getaway.
1. 3:20 pm to 7:00 pm

_**Here's another fic that I've had up my sleeve for a while. Thanks for the reviews for my last story Addicted. **_

**_Angel and Collins may seem a little OOC, but just go with it for the sake of the story._**

**_Please R&R. ANY FLAMERS WILL BE HUNTED DOWN!!_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own RENT, but it doesn't hurt to dream.**

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February 13th, 3:20 p.m. (less than nine hours until Valentine's Day) **_

_"In the news this afternoon...you guessed it, folks--snow and lots of it! A winter storm warning is in effect. More than twenty-five inches of snow has been predicted for the northeast, so get ready! The flakes have already begun to fall and heavier flurries are expected a little later this morning. High temperature today was twenty degrees. Current temperature is fifteen. Temperatures are expected to drop to ten degrees this evening, with a wind chill factor of fifteen below, so please be sure to bundle up." _

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"Are you almost ready to go, Ang?" Collins said as he waited by the door. 

"Yes," said Angel with an air of distraction. "I'm just listening to this weather report. Did you know that this snowstorm is supposed to bring at least two feet of snow?"

"Yes. That's why I wanted to leave early. I wish I could have had the whole day off from work. It would have been much better if we had left this morning. But if we get a move on, I think we'll beat the worst of it."

"Maybe we should reconsider," she said worriedly. "I have a funny feeling something's going to happen."

"But tomorrow's Valentine's Day." Collins walked up to Angel and kissed the worry lines on her forehead. "Come on, baby. We made all these great plans already. We just have to get there. It's only a four hour trip."

"Okay," said Angel with doubt. She flicked the radio off, grabbed her jacket, and walked out with Collins outside to Joanne's car, which she let them borrow.

**_3:45 p.m._**

"Can you believe all this traffic? Why aren't these people at work? Or better yet, why aren't they home? Don't they know there's a storm coming?"

"Angel, why are you complaining? You're not even the one driving."

"I'm sorry." She sighed. "I just wanna get there and spend time with you alone."

"We're alone now." An obnoxiously loud car horn, blowing to the right if them, made a lie of Collins' words.

**_4:20 p.m._**

"You can't possibly have to go the bathroom. We practically just left the apartment."

"I told you...coffee runs right through me."

"Then why did you drink coffee this morning of all mornings?"

Angel snuggled closer to Collins...or at least as close as she could snuggle with her seatbelt on. "But honey, I love your coffee."

"Flattery won't work this time. You're going to have to hold it for a little while."

Angel pouted. "I've been practicing my whining. You wanna hear it?"

Collins grumbled under his breath.

"What was that, honey?"

"I said that I'll pull over to the next rest stop,baby."

Angel smiled in satisfaction.

**_4:50 p.m._**

Collins flicked the radio off. Maybe a few minutes of peace would keep his growing headache at bay.

"Hey!" Angel stopped her bouncing to protest. "Why'd you turn that off? I like that song."

"Ang, why are we on this trip?"

"Because you can't throw darts."

Collins was derailed from the point he had been about to make about maintaining a romantic mood. "I CAN throw darts."

"What kind of a stupid idea was it to pick the location for our getaway by throwing a dart at a map?"

"You might recall that it was your idea, Angel."

"Oh. Yeah...Still, I'm not the one with no aim."

"I can aim!"

"Maybe you need to get your eyes checked."

"There's nothing wrong with my vision."

"So what's your excuse? Why are we driving, in February, in the middle of a blizzard, Upstate, where it starts snowing in the middle of summer?"

Collins muttered about gross exaggerations.

"What was that?"

"I said the sun was in my eyes."

"I'd believe that if we hadn't been throwing the darts at night."

Collins turned the radio back on.

**_5:45 p.m._**

Angel looked out the windows with an anxious expression on her face. "It's coming down a lot heavier than I thought it would."

Collins reached out and squeezed her knee comfortingly. "Don't worry. We'll be fine as long as we stick to the main roads."

"Watch out, Collins!"

Collins swung his eyes back to the road and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "Watch out for what?"

"Never mind. I thought I saw something."

"Angel! You almost scared me to death."

"Sorry. It's really hard being a back seat driver."

"Maybe you should take the wheel. We did say we would take turns, didn't we?"

"I don't know, Collins. I haven't driven in a long time and I never drove in bad weather."

"C'mon Ang, I need a little break. I'm getting a crick in my neck."

"I can give you a nice neck rub," she said hopefully.

"Just drive for a little while. Look, there's another rest stop. You can even use the bathroom."

"I don't know about this sarcastic side of you. It's like you're turning into Roger...What?...Don't look at me like that!...Okay. I didn't mean it."

**_5:55 p.m._**

"You know, driving in this weather isn't so bad."

"Angel, watch out for the--"

"I saw it," Angel said as she swerved to avoid the large pothole. "Like I was saying, it's not that bad. It's even kind of fun."

"Angel! Don't swerve too--"

"Don't worry, honey." she smoothly steered the car back into the right lane, not noticing the angry driver in the next lane, waving his fist. "I've kinda missed the convenience of not having to rely on buses and cabs for transportation."

"Angel!"

"What? What did I do?" Angel pleaded. Luckily, the state trooper she had passed hadn't notice the car going at 20 miles per hour above the speed limit. He was already preoccupied ticketing another driver with a lead foot.

"Nothing, baby." Collins sighed deeply and put his hands in his head so he wouldn't have to watch. A couple of minutes later, Angel startled him.

"Oh my god! That was close! Where did that tractor-trailer come from?"

**_10 Minutes Later_**

"Baby, please don't be angry. It's nothing personal."

"But WHY can't I drive?"

"Because you can't drive," Collins mumbled under his breath.

"What did you say?" Angel demanded.

"Nothing. I just feel better when I'm driving," he replied. "And a thousand times safer," he added so Angel wouldn't hear.

"What?"

He turned and gave her a broad smile. "I didn't say anything."

"Oh."

**_7:00p.m._**

Collins turned to look with fondness at his lover. Angel had fallen asleep and she looked exactly like her namesake. Her long black eyelashes rested on her soft, mocha cheeks. Her lips were rosy. Collins reached over and gently stroked Angel's face with the back of his hand. If only they could reach their destination soon.

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**_This isn't the end! Next chapter will be up soon!_**


	2. 7:30 pm to 12:00 am

**A/N:_ Here's the second chapter. Thanks for the reviews :) I live for them! This chapter may_ _be a little long, so sorry about that. Please R&R._ NO FLAMERS ALLOWED!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own RENT, but I wish I was in it.**

_**

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7:30p.m. **_

Collins looked at his lover who was still sleeping. Angel was snoring softly. It was kind of sweet, really. The snow was getting heavier, muffling the sound of the traffic. Overhead, what little sky was visible was steel gray.

_**8:15 p.m.**_

Collins glanced at his still sleeping lover. He reached out for the radio and flicked the knob all the way to the right. The boom of the dance song playing hurt his ears.

"What the...!" Angel jackknifed from her sleeping position and looked around in wild confusion. After a moment, she reached out for the radio and turned down the volume.

"Why'd you do that? You scared the hell out of me!"

Collins shrugged in innocence. "I didn't touch it. It must be malfunctioning."

"That doesn't make any sense. The knob can't turn itself, can it?"

Collins shrugged again. "What do I know? But now that you're awake, maybe you could talk to me. I feel like I'm falling asleep."

**_8:30 p.m_.**

"So how come I couldn't drive before, but now it's okay?"

Collins looked around. They were on a narrow road--one lane in each direction. There were few turns, no curves, no surprises, and flat land as far as the eye could see.

He admitted, "I think you'll be relatively safe on this road." He gripped the dashboard while Angel pulled off the side of the road and continued the drive.

"I don't see what the point is in switching drivers now. I thought you said we were almost there."

"Stop talking and concentrate on the road."

"If you're going to be criticizing my driving, then you might as well--"

"Concentrate!"

"Fine!"

_**9:15 p.m.**_

Collins waved yet another car around them. "Angel, it is okay if you drive a little faster."

"I don't want to be too reckless. I'm trying to CONCENTRATE."

Collins looked out the car window. The two children walking with their mother, through piles of snow had long since passed their car and were making tracks, twenty yards ahead. An elderly man, walking gingerly with a cane, zipped by them.

"I think they can actually give you a ticket for driving too slow," He commented.

"Why would they do that?"

_**9:30 p.m.**_

"Obstructing traffic and creating hazardous driving conditions? What a bunch of bull."

"I told you to drive a little faster."

"Fine. You drive. I can't take the stress."

_**9:45 p.m.**_

"Collins, how can you tell if we're on the right side of the road?"

Collins and Angel peered through the windshield.

Actually, they tried to peer. All they could see was snow, blowing straight at the car, so heavy that visibility was zero. Even the valiant windshield wipers couldn't keep up.

"The real question is how do we know if we're on the road at all? Maybe you should get out and clean off the headlights again. I can't see anything with all the snow caked over them."

"Why do _I_ have to get out of the car?"

"Would you rather drive?"

Angel thought about it for a nanosecond before putting her gloves on. "Pull over."

_**10:20 p.m.**_

"We're gonna die out here. We're gonna freeze to death."

"We're not going to freeze to death, Angel," Collins said calmly despite the nagging worry deep inside.

"I'm sure we'll lose a limb or two or at least a few fingers and toes."

"We're not going to lose any body parts. Don't be so melodramatic."

Angel looked out the window, but besides the silo in the distance, she saw nothing. No other cars, no houses, no lights. Not a thing. "They're going to make a TV special about us: A college professor and his drag queen lover, tragically killed during a freak snow storm. No one knows why they were stuck in the middle of a cornfield in upstate New York, in the dead of winter. Hundreds mourned their passing."

"Don't exaggerate."

"You're right...Dozens mourned their passing."

"Let's just keep driving. I'm sure we'll find a town soon. I think we're almost there."

Angel let out a sound that sounded remarkably like a snort of derision.

_**10:40 p.m.**_

"Look honey!" Angel said excitedly. "Town lights!"

"Thank God."

Giddy with relief, they drove towards civilization. In the small town, one of the first things they saw was a small motel. They drove into the parking lot and found a space. It felt like they had been driving all day.

Collins said tiredly, "I feel like I've been driving all day."

"That's because you have, honey." Angel leaned over and kissed him briefly, but with promise. "I'll make it up to you tonight."

They trudged into the motel and up to the desk. The man behind the desk was giving a set of keys to a couple already standing there. When the couple had taken their bags and departed, Collins and Angel stepped up.

"We'd like to rent a room, please," said Collins.

The motel registrar looked at them with deep regret. "I just rented my last room." He was surprised when Angel began to walk away, laughing uncontrollably, and talking to herself.

Collins looked at her with concern, then back at the registrar. "Do you know of ANY place...before my girlfriend loses her mind."

The registrar raised an eyebrow. "Seems to me that boat has already sailed, but there is a bed and breakfast down the road. I can call them and ask them to hold a room for you. Won't take you but a minute to get there."

"Thank you! Thank you very much."

_**10:50 p.m.**_

The B and B owner showed them to their room. "I'm relieved that you made it through the snow safely. You're not the only folks to get stuck. You're lucky there's a room left."

"Believe me," Collins said. "We know."

"Blankets are in the closet. There's a clock radio by the bedside. The shower and bathroom are across the hall. You'll be sharing that with the couple in the other room on this floor. Be careful with the shower, the hot water tank is a bit small. I've been meaning to replace it."

"Thanks, Norma. Everything looks great."

"Breakfast is between 7:00 and 9:30. It's served buffet style, so help yourself."

"Thanks again, Norma."

Norma left and Collins towed Angel into the room. "Baby, we're here."

Angel looked up from her conversation of one. "We're here? We're in Cooperstown?"

"Well, not exactly, but almost. Only fifty miles away."

She clutched Collins' sleeve with mounting panic. "We don't have to go there tonight, do we? I don't think I can go back out there."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed the icy tip of her nose. "We are going to take hot showers, go to bed, and sleep like babies."

She leaned her head against his broad chest. "That sounds so nice. If only I weren't so tired, I would show you how grateful I am to be safe and warm again."

"Sit." Collins pushed Angel gently until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. He squatted down and pulled off her wet boots and tights. He tried to rub some of the circulation back into her cold feet. "Wow! They're like blocks of ice."

"My hands too." she pitifully held out her frozen hands, which looked a little blue at the finger tips.

"I think we can take care of that." Collins sat on the bed and pulled Angel closer. He lifted his sweater and tucked her hands underneath to heat them with his own body. He tucked her feet into his lap, and pulled a blanket from the bed to wrap around them both. Then he slowly rubbed her back. "You drove me crazy today."

"I know," she against his chest. "I'm sorry."

"I still love you. I'm glad we decided to do this."

Angel hesitated. "Would you be mad if I said I'm not as glad as you are."

Collins chuckled. "No, baby. I understand."

"But if I had to do it with anyone, I'm glad it was you." She snuggled a little closer. "It's a good thing I love you so much. Otherwise, I'd have to hate you for taking me on this trip."

"Angel, you say the sweetest things."

"Gimme a break. You know what I mean. Let's go take that shower."

"You wanna go first?"

"You heard what Norma said...small hot water tank. We should be careful to conserve our resources. It's the right thing to do."

"Baby, that's the smartest thing you said today. Let's go."

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Laughing quietly, they toweled each other dry after the shower. It was hard to finish between the kisses and caresses. 

"Shh," Angel warned. "These walls are probably as thin as the ones back at the apartment. I don't want to disturb the other couple on this floor."

Collins leaned down and captured her lips in a soul-searing kiss. "Let's go back to our room, then."

They tiptoed out of the bathroom, only to encounter an elderly couple, a man and a woman, walking towards the bathroom. The other couple was dressed in long bathrobes as they were, and carried towels and bathing supplies as they did.

Angel blushed and shyly said, "Hi. How are you?"

The woman answered with a polite smile, "Just wonderful. Thank you. If I don't see you again, have a nice Valentine's Day."

The man smiled and tugged his wife towards the bathroom. As the two couples moved apart. "I told you we wouldn't disturb them. They're probably doing exactly what we were doing." He looked back, smiled sheepishly, and dragged his wife into the bathroom.

Angel's eyebrows had shot up and her face had turned beet red. Collins quickly hustled his mortified lover into the room where he immediately began to exclaim, "Can you believe her? I've never been so embarrassed in my life...Okay, I have been that embarrassed before, but still..."

"Did she lie?"

"Well...no."

"And she didn't insult us?"

"No."

"Then who cares?" Collins tossed his bathrobe onto the chair and threw himself onto the bed. Posed there, ever so sexily, he asked, "Do you want to talk about her or do you want to--" He never got to finish his question because Angel had already launched herself onto the bed and was doing her best to devour every inch of Collins' body.

_**15 Minutes Later**_

"We've lost it, haven't we?" Angel snuggled against the furnace of Collins' body. It was just the right temperature to keep her warm.

"Lost what?"

"That loving feeling...our mojo...IT."

Collins wrapped his arms tighter around Angel's smaller form, and buried his face in her hair to kiss her. "We haven't lost anything. It's just resting."

"It's comatose."

"It's tired. WE'RE tired. You'll see. Tomorrow, we'll be up and raring to go."

"Is it Valentine's Day yet?"

He leaned up to look at the clock. "We're almost there. Four more minutes."

"Don't let me fall asleep, okay?"

"Why not? It's not like this is the New Year's Eve countdown."

"Because this is our first Valentine's Day together and I don't want to miss a minute of it," Angel murmured drowsily.

"It doesn't really matter what day it is. I love you and I know you love me."

She lazily brought her hand up and traced Collins' mouth with one finger. "With all my heart." She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, her hand still tracing the planes of his face.

They lay quietly for a few minutes until Collins saw the numbers of the clock change to 12:00. "Happy Valentine's Day, baby." He kissed his sleeping lover on the forehead and let himself drift into dreamland.

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**A/N: The next chapter will be the last!**


	3. Valentine's Day

**A/N: _Okay, I decided to post the last chapter now instead of waiting until the next day. I hope you guys like it :) Please R&R! _NO FLAMERS ALLOWED!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own RENT**

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Valentine's Day Morning, 8:00 am _**

Angel rolled over and opened her eyes slowly and reluctantly. She was draped over Collins' broad back, so she planted a kiss between his shoulder blades. "Happy Valentine's Day, honey."

Collins rolled over and snagged Angel around the waist. "Good morning."

"You let me fall asleep even though I asked you not to. We've already wasted eight hours."

"I disagree. I spent the last eight hours with the sweetest, sexiest, most beautiful person I know in my arms. I'd say that was a pretty good deal."

Angel cleared her throat and blinked to mask the sudden rush of emotion. Collins noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Sometimes I can't help but think of how my life was like before I met you. Nobody has ever made me feel the way you make me feel. I get scared sometimes that you might get tired of me and want to find someone better."

"Couldn't," Collins said simply.

Angel sniffed. "Couldn't what?"

"I couldn't do better. How could I do better than the other half of me?"

This time, Angel was unable to hide her tears. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Of course...because of you. We're amazing together."

"I vote we stay here all day and forget about the rest of the trip."

Collins pulled Angel until his lover was lying on top of him. "I second that." He threaded his fingers into her natural hair and pulled her head down to kiss her deeply. Their tongues and their bodies tangled together as they made love in the warm cocoon of blankets.

_**9:15 a.m., in the first floor dining room**_

"Do you think they'll ever come down for breakfast, dear? They seemed like such a nice couple. I'd love to meet them formally."

The elderly couple looked up at the ceiling at the latest scraping of furniture on the floor. Faintly, a squeaking sound resonated through the house. "Ah, to be that young again, Sharon," said the man to his wife.

His wife replied, "James, sweetheart, they haven't got a thing on you and me." Sharon gazed happily at her husband, with deep and abiding affection. She leaned forward and kissed the papery skin of his cheek. "But give them a few a little more time. They're almost there."

**The End

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**A/N: _Thanks for reading guys! I'll be posting more stories in the future. I just gotta give my brain a rest for a bit._**


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